Mahora's Leaf
by Redhazard
Summary: Negi travels to Japan and Nekane cannot help but be worried. Meanwhile, the newest Hokage is hopelessly bored. An innocent mission request will have big consequences on Mahora. Title Changed. Formerly The Fox Hidden In Mahora.
1. The Request

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or Negima and I'm not making any money of this.

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xXx

**Mahora's Leaf**

**Prologue: The Request**

xXx

_Has the monotony of life gotten to you? Do you wish for something new? A change of scenery like none other?_

_Mundus Magicus has grown stale! Mundus Vetus, too restrictive. The less said of the Demon World the better. You need something new!_

_Travel to the Elemental Nations!_

_Enjoy this peaceful world. Travel through the lush forests of the Fire Country. Climb the highest Mountains and explore the deepest caverns in the Earth Country._

_Take a dip in the sea! Visit the Land of Water._

_Go to Lighting Country, home of famous rapper Killer Bee whose hit album Longhorn has sold out in all worlds!_

_The Elemental Countries are waiting for you!_

_Call now!_

_-Advertisement from the Five Elements Travel Agency-_

xXx

An angry scream broke the silence in a small house of Wales.

"I can't believe this!" Anya Cocolova shrieked as she furiously paced around the room.

"What idiot thought this was a good idea," She said, full of righteous indignation. "He is ten. He is wimpy, a shrimp. Him? A teacher? I pity the students!"

Nekane Springfield merely watched with a patient smile on her face as the girl ranted. She was already used to this scene. It had happened every night since Negi's assignment had been revealed.

"I know you are worried," Nekane said, ignoring the embarrassed denials those words prompted, "but everything will be fine. The headmaster of the school is an old friend of The Magus. Negi will be taken care of."

It was the same thing she told Anya every night, and just like every night, it did nothing to quell the worries in the young girl's mind.

"T-that's not the point! He is a kid, a kid! There is no way he is responsible enough to live on his own," the girl said, completely ignoring the same could be said of her.

"Plus," the girl went on, "I have been doing research on Japan."

Nekane blinked. This part was new.

"Did you know it has one of the highest human to non-human ratios in the entire world?"

"Well, that's…" Nekane began nervously. She had known that. She had just hoped Anya wouldn't find out.

The girl kept going not giving Nekane an opportunity to think of an excuse. "There is also a huge amount of demons sealed there. Tons of them. Really nasty ones at that."

"Well, those are-"

"They have killer robots!" Anya shouted, throwing her hands into the air. "What if Negi ends in a class with a robot?"

As a robot, Chachamaru did not have any sneeze protocols. Nevertheless, sneeze she did. She recorded the phenomenon in her database and made a mental note to ask Hakase about it during her next check-up.

Back in Wales, Nekane sweatdropped. "I don't think that's something we need to worry about."

Anya went on as though she had not heard her. "The humans are dangerous too. There are supernatural high school students and magical girls! Plus, half-demons that look like humans, but they are only waiting for an idiot to lower his guard and–"

"Anya," Nekane said, softly but firmly. She gently grabbed the girl's shoulders. "Negi is going to be fine. Mahora is a safe place. There are special barriers around the city that protect the school from outside forces."

They also kept many demons sealed, but Nekane was not going to share that particular detail with Anya.

"But what if they aren't from outside? What if Negi ends up in a class filled with supernatural students?"

"Don't say things like that. I am sure Negi will have wonderful, normal students."

"But-"

"No buts," Nekane said firmly and Anya knew the conversation was over.

"It's getting late. Let's get you to bed," Nekane said as she led Anya to her room.

Inwardly, Nekane congratulated herself. There had not been any sign of falsehood on her face during their talk. Given the type of school Mahora was, chances were most of Negi's students would not fit into any definition of normal.

Nekane knew and accepted that. Mahora was far from the only school that taught magic in secret.

It was normal even.

Not dangerous at all.

Nekane sighed and rubbed her temples after tucking in Anya.

The girl's words had awakened old memories. Negi was not the fist mage to go to Japan. She recalled a group of her classmates had ended there as part of their training. The stories they had brought back had been quite…disturbing: people under ancient Chinese curses, aliens, random monsters looking for "Heart Crystals" whatever that was.

She had not given it much thought at the time. Surely, they were exaggerating their experience.

Right?

Perhaps it was silly to let Anya's tales rattle her, but Negi was far too important.

That night Nekane decided to write an important letter.

She needed to call a professional.

xXx

Uzumaki Naruto was the Sixth Hokage.

During the Fourth Ninja War, he had fought against Akatsuki and stopped the Moon's Eye plan, bringing peace to the land. His deeds in the war earned him fame and the respect of many. When the time came for Tsunade to retire, he was the natural choice.

Two years had gone by since then.

Naruto was the Hokage, respected and loved by all.

He was also quite bored.

The days of fighting between ninja villages were long gone. There were still some old grudges. Years of fighting did not go away so easily, but the efforts during the war had laid the foundations for peace. Under the rule of the five Kage, the relationships between villages had improved drastically.

It was great.

If maybe, a little too boring.

War was bad. Naruto had learned that through firsthand experience, but too much peace left him with little to do.

What happened to the awesome ninja battles?

Even before he became Hokage, and thus doomed to a life of paper work and diplomatic meetings, the missions he had taken after the war had been too easy.

Uzumaki Naruto had become too strong.

Few people could give him a good fight and those who could were not always up for a friendly spar. Oonoki frequently cited back problems. Even before he retired and left the Hat to his son.

There was Killer Bee, but the Raikage had forbidden his brother from ever sparring with Naruto again.

Apparently the Raikage had liked that mountain range.

As for Sasuke… well, there was more than one problem there.

The lack of a good fight was almost enough to make him miss the Akatsuki.

Almost.

Naruto enjoyed peace as much as the next guy and maybe more, but he needed some action. If there was one downside to being a Hokage it was the need to sit in his office for most of the day, taking care of the paperwork.

A Hokage was not supposed to take missions. He was supposed to stay in the village and keep order. He created and implemented policy. Even his mere presence served a purpose.

However, Uzumaki Naruto needed ways to entertain himself.

So... he improvised.

If a particular mission request happened to catch his eye, well, no one could blame him if he deemed it important enough to check it out in person.

For the safety of the village and all.

He just had to make sure to leave a few shadow clones behind so no one would notice he was gone. He was pretty Shikamaru would not see things his way. Party pooper.

Today a highly unusual mission had arrived to his office. Naruto idly toyed with the request form. The job itself was hardly unusual. One Nekane Springfield requested a bodyguard for her cousin. It was a simple enough job.

But it came from the Old World.

There was more than one world. That was one piece of knowledge Jiraiya had made sure to drill into his head.

Their world was just one of many. In theory, there were hundreds and maybe even thousands of different worlds out there. No one had ever traveled enough to know for sure.

Even a man like Jiraiya only knew of a few worlds, the so-called Old World among them.

It had the distinction of being one of the few worlds in constant contact with another world, Mundus Magicus.

The Magic World.

Every year many people traveled to and from the Magic World to the Old World.

As a rule, ninja did not make a habit of travelling to other worlds. They knew they were there but they had no reason to involve themselves in their affairs. They had enough troubles as it was.

Until recently at least.

Peace, while good, had rather negative effects on the number of missions they received.

The Old World and the Magic World provided a nice supply of customers while the villages recovered from the war and adjusted to their new circumstances.

Which meant they received missions like this now.

Naruto idly toyed with the request. A burst of wind chakra sent it flying around his office like a paper plane.

As far as decisions went, this wasn't a hard one.

A hand seal and a few clones later, Naruto disappeared from his office.

xXx

"…and that's why I am going to need you to give me a job where I can keep track of Negi," the ninja finished cheerfully.

Konoe Konoemon was used to surprises. He was Mahora's headmaster. Impervious to surprise was a requirement for his job (It really was). He had seen almost everything.

A ninja from the Elemental Countries suddenly dropping into his office was certainly new. Not surprising but new.

Konoemon had been doing some light paperwork when the young man had come into his office with a document signed by Nekane Springfield and began to tell his story.

The fact that he had managed to sneak through all his security was more than a little impressive.

He would have to verify the young man's identity of course, but Konoemon would be lying if he said he had not expected this. Nekane Springfield would hardly be the first worried guardian he had to deal with. As a matter of fact, there were currently forty-seven students in Mahora who had special bodyguards hired by their guardians watching over them, his granddaughter included.

"Uzumaki-san," he began, "I trust you understand teaching here is important for Negi's training."

"Yeah, I got the gist of it," Naruto said, waving a hand. "Last stage of training to get some real world experience and all, right? I know how that goes. Don't worry, as long as it doesn't directly threaten his life, I don't plan to interfere."

Unless it looked like fun.

But saying that would not make a good first impression.

The aged headmaster ran his fingers through his long beard. "That would be for the best."

It really would. The Thousand Master had many enemies. One more set of eyes could not hurt.

"Would you be okay with a teaching position?" He asked, placing both elbows on his desk.

Naruto blinked. "Don't I need a license for that? I had expected a janitor job or something."

"You have nothing to worry about. The PE teacher had an accident recently and has decided to retire. Who better to replace him than a ninja?" Konoemon asked with full honesty.

"True," Naruto said.

There was something to be said about the common sense of the people in the room.

"Very well, you will start next week. The paper work should be done by then," Konoemon said, smiling.

"Just like that?"

"You are hardly the first unexpected visitor Mahora has to accommodate," Konoemon replied. "It has become a tradition of sorts by now."

"Cool!" Naruto said, smiling. The old man was alright. Now, he just had one last thing to take care of.

"By the way, do you know any good ramen places? Running all the way from Wales made me hungry."

Konoemon stared.

"…I… would recommend Chaoi Bao Zi. It has a wonderful cook," Konoemon said with barely a hint of surprise on his voice.

"Thanks, gramps!" The ninja shouted, waving as he walked out of the room, through the door this time.

Konoemon sighed. He had not expected this addition to young Negi's training.

Who would have thought the latest Hokage would be playing bodyguard?

He was no fool. He kept himself informed even on the affairs of other worlds. The age of the new Hokage was no secret and the power he had felt coming from the young ninja, although hidden, had been the real deal.

It may be an assumption at this point, but he would bet all his money on it.

In the past, Konoemon had the fortune of meeting the Third Hokage. The old ninja had radiated competence and wisdom. He was exactly what one would expect from the leader of a ninja village.

The young Uzumaki was different. There was a sense of lightness around him, quite the contrast to the older Sarutobi, yet Konoemon could see the steel behind those eyes.

It looked like things in Mahora were going to get even more interesting.

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xXx

Prologue: End

xXx

AN: So I wrote this and a few other chapters like two years ago (for that reason it should be noted this is not quite canon compliant). They have been in hard drive gathering dust to the point I had almost forgotten about them.

It wasn't until I started writing **The Return** that I remembered this fic. I decided I had nothing to lose by posting the story. I grabbed this chapter, cleaned it up a bit here we are.

**Glossary**

**Mundus Vetus **also known as the Old/Real World. It is the world where Negi and the rest live in. It is the normal world. The old world is also the birthplace of humans.

**Mundus Magicus **is the Magic World. Mundus Magicus is an alternate space on Mars. Sometime in the past humans migrated to this world and settled there. Unlike in the Old World, magic is common knowledge there.

Then there's the **Ninja World**, more commonly known as the Elemental Nations (not everyone can have a fancy Latin name). This is where the tale of Naruto takes place. Some crossovers like to have the Naruto world be inside the real world, but I decided to use separate dimensions for the purpose of this fic The details of Ninja Dimensional Travel will be revealed as the story goes along.

Remember to review!


	2. Meet the Teacher

Disclaimer: Naruto and Negima are not owned by me.

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xXx

**Chapter 1: Meet the Teacher**

xXx

_Boss,_

_It is as you suspected. Five Elementals Travel Agency is secretly managed by ninja._

_If there is any motive other than money, it is lost on me. To all appearances, it is just a travel agency and a damn good one at that. I cannot recall the last time I had a trip this good._

_I can confirm what previous reports stated. This world is at peace. There has not been any major conflict in over a year. The reason remains unknown._

_Additionally, I regret to inform you I was unable to procure a copy of Longhorn._

_My apologies. I am aware of how much you were looking forward to it._

_-From the Desk of Kurt Godel-_

xXx

Naruto ate ramen atop of a building.

That's what cool ninjas did.

Maybe not the ramen part (weirdos), but ninja liked to use tall buildings to look over the city, preferably with the full moon in the background.

The afternoon sun would have to do for Naruto.

Naruto let out a content sigh after making short work of the ramen. He had to admit Konoemon had good taste. The ramen was good. Not Ichiraku good, but few things were.

"Man, this place is nice," Naruto said, placing the empty bowl beside him.

Despite being such a large city, Mahora had a homely feel to it. The buildings were not as big as the ones in Tokyo or even some cities back in the Elemental Countries. Instead, Mahora had plenty of small buildings and houses with plenty of open space in between.

Also, it had a giant tree. Couldn't forget that part.

"Weird," Naruto said.

Then again, the Hokage Mountain in Konoha probably looked weird to outsiders so maybe he shouldn't talk

Naruto smiled and closed his eyes, enjoying the wind against his skin. He let a few moments pass, before opening one eye.

"So how long are you going to stay silent over there?" He asked.

The small ermine who had been in the process of quietly sneaking out of Naruto's backpack froze in his tracks. A strong hand the grabbed him by the tail and lifted him up.

"…eh, hi?" Chamo tried once he was face to face with Naruto.

This had so not been part of the plan.

It was simple. It came to him the moment he had seen the guy come into Nekane's house. A brilliant idea only his genius mind could conceive!

Hitch a ride in the ninja's backpack.

Chamo had been planning on going to Japan. The ermine needed a way to escape the punishment for his many underwear thefts. Plus, Negi was his bro! You didn't leave a bro alone.

Especially when he was living in such a good hiding place.

Hitching a ride with the ninja had seemed a much easier and safer alternative to Chamo than traveling on his own.

What could possibly go wrong with that?

Being caught apparently.

"Who are you and why did you sneak in there?" Naruto asked, studying the little creature.

Naruto was mostly curious. The ermine was hardly a threat. He did not even sense any ill intent from him. Otherwise, he would have never let the animal sneak into his backpack in the first place.

Chamo gulped.

"Eh… that is…."

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Yes?"

Chamo gulped as a kunai appeared in the blonde's hand. This was not good at all!

_Calm down, Albert Chamomile. You can do this!_

Mustering his confidence, Chamo began to tell his story.

He told Naruto the sorrowful tale of a lone ermine, and of the catastrophe that had claimed the lives of his parents. The ermine went through life experiencing loss after loss. In his darkest hour, a lone kid had helped the dashingly handsome and clever hero. How else could the awesome protagonist repay the kid but by swearing to stick with him till his dying day?

It was a heartbreaking story.

Most of it was a complete lie.

"…and that's why I am here," Chamo said, as he looked at the setting sun in just the right way, a tear trailing down his cheek.

Man, he probably looked awesome right now.

Naruto let out an impressed whistle. "You know, I got to hand it to you. Most people would stop after the death of the parents, but you went all the way and killed your adoptive parents too."

Chamo did not do things halfway.

"I am guessing the part where you are Negi's familiar is true at least, right?"

Chamo nodded, annoyed the ninja had not even pretended to buy his story, but grateful the kunai in his hand had disappeared. "Yes, I have been at Aniki's side since he was five years old. How could I leave him without my support now? This Albert Chamomile will do his best for Negi!"

Said best included helping Negi make lots of provisional contracts in order to become filthy rich.

Naruto rubbed his chin.

"Well, I suppose that's alright." It was training but there was nothing wrong with the kid getting help from his partner.

He had always enjoyed summoning Gamahiro during his spars with Jiraiya.

The look on the old pervert's face the first time he had summoned the giant toad on top of him had been priceless.

_Food Cart Destroyer_ was such an awesome Jutsu.

"There is just one thing," Naruto said as the thought struck him. "I can't have Negi knowing about me being his bodyguard. Promise to keep quiet about that, okay?"

"Sure thing, bro," The ermine replied crossing his fingers behind his back, an impressive feat for an ermine.

"…You are lying to me, aren't you?"

Chamo started to sweat. "What? Of course n-arrhg!"

As Chamo tried to figure out what had happened to his tongue Naruto put back the small brush that had suddenly appeared in his hand back in his backpack.

The ermine was unable to see it but his tongue now sported an inky black symbol.

And the old pervert said he would never be good with seals.

"Yeah, that will do," Naruto said satisfied with his work, before letting go of the ermine.

"What was that for?" The ermine asked.

"Eh, just a minor seal," Naruto explained. "You won't be able to talk about me until I release it. Don't try washing it off. It won't work. Besides, the ink will vanish in a minute or so."

With that said the blonde ninja vanished in a whirlwind of leaves leaving Chamo alone in the rooftop.

It occurred to Chamo he did not like ninja very much.

xXx

Today was proving to be a bad day for Negi Springfield.

And it had been such a nice week too!

He was getting to know his students. Plus, his relationship with Asuna was no longer antagonistic. They had even gotten to the point where he could say they were friends. Asuna would not admit it, but she was stubborn like that.

It was slow progress, but progress all the same.

Then his students had an argument with some high school girls and he had failed to stop it. Had Takahata not been there, he didn't know what would have happened.

It was a sobering reminder. He still had ways to go as a teacher.

If only that had been the end of that.

The P.E. teacher in charge of that class had been unable to attend and Negi had to fill in for him. Using the court right next to the middle school dorm had not been his idea, but he had been unable to stop the Saint Ursula students.

Predictably another fight with 2-A had started.

The Dodgeball game should have solved things. A friendly game was just what the girls needed. It would allow them work out their aggression in a safe way.

Negi should have known better. He really should have.

Not even a full minute later, Negi was set to be the prize for the victor, and the girls of 2-A with Asuna and Ayaka leading them were glaring daggers at the high school girls.

"Girls maybe it would be better if we-"

"Negi-sensei, rest assured this Yukihiro Ayaka will not let them have even a single hair of your head," the blonde class rep declared, cutting off Negi's objection.

"Damn right!" Asuna said, in a rare moment of agreement with her rival. "Don't worry Negi. We got this."

"Then it's agreed!"

Faster than Negi could voice his many objections with the game (starting with the fact that he was sure that teaching arrangements did not work that way) a loud voice boomed through the field.

Negi sighed. Today was definitely not a good day.

"Who the hell are you?" Asuna asked as everyone turned towards the source of the voice.

The child teacher looked at the new arrival. He was a young man with blond hair and blue eyes. He was wearing a black tracksuit with orange lines running along the sleeves.

"Isn't that obvious?" The man said with a grin on his face. "I am going to be the referee!"

"What gives you the authority? This is a private game," one of the high school girls said. Murmurs of agreement rose from both side of the court.

The blonde laughed. "What give me the authority? Listen and listen well. The name is Uzumaki Naruto and starting next term I will be working as PE teacher here at Mahora!"

"There is no way. You are too-" Asuna immediately stopped what she was about to say.

Naruto gave her an amused look. "You weren't about to say, 'you are too young to be a teacher', right?"

Asuna tried really hard not to look at Negi.

She tried.

"… No."

Naruto smiled.

"Good, because you'd have looked really silly if you did," Naruto said, earning a glare from Asuna. "That's right I am your teacher! In fact, I'm the best damn PE teacher in the whole world."

Konoemon had it right. Who better than a ninja to teach PE?

"It is not like you can ask your homeroom teacher to be the referee. That wouldn't be fair to the other class," Naruto added.

"I-I woul- I would n-never," Negi said or tried to at any rate. A reassuring hand on his shoulder stopped his spluttering. The child teacher looked up to find Naruto right next to him.

Most of the students were left wondering how he had gotten there without anyone seeing him move. A few recognized the sudden movement for what it was and were now quite interested in the new teacher.

"You are one serious kid," Naruto said with a smile. "Sorry, I didn't mean to imply you would be unfair. It's just a formality for these things."

"How?" Asuna asked with a slight twitch in her eyebrow. "How did you move all the way there?!"

"Best. PE Teacher. In. The World. 10 meters in 10 seconds or less is nothing," Naruto said, not bothering to mention he could go way faster. "We went over this already."

"Isn't that more like a world class athlete?" One of the students commented.

"Anyway," he said, ignoring them, "non-players get out of the court. The game is about to start."

Moments later the girls were facing each other on the court, and Negi had somehow ended up as a player. The middle school side had double the players as previously agreed. On the sidelines, a green haired girl who was obviously a robot had gotten her hands on some fireworks and three class cheerleaders were shaking their pompoms.

With a blow from Naruto's whistle the game started.

The high school class students began their attack and… gently threw the ball at class 3-A.

Bop.

Bop.

Bop.

"Three out," Naruto called as the ball bounced from head to head.

Then it happened again.

"Four out," Naruto said. Only now were the girls starting to realize their large numbers put them at a distinct disadvantage during dodge-ball.

"Hold it! Isn't this situation unfair? With our numbers we can barely move around," Asuna said, realizing they had been tricked when they accepted having a team with twice the amount of members.

"I must agree with Asuna, Uzumaki-sensei. The conditions of the match are hardly fair," the class representative added.

Naruto looked at the girls and asked himself one very simple question, a question that would shape his teaching style in the months to come.

What would Kakashi do?

"The number of people on each team was something both sides agreed on. I will allow it."

"But they tricked us!" Asuna said.

"Yeah, and you failed to realize it in time," Naruto replied. "You were okay with it when you thought it gave you an unfair advantage."

"Yes, but that…I mean," Asuna struggled to come up with an answer.

"Already complaining?" the leader of the high school team, a pretty black haired girl, asked mockingly. "I shouldn't be surprised. After all, you are just brats."

Asuna's eyebrow twitched. That did it. She had it with those snobby upperclassmen. She threw the ball at the leader with all her considerable strength.

Only to watch as the girl casually caught it with one hand.

"No way!"

"Asuna lost?"

"And she even threw it with full Baka Power."

"Who the hell has Baka Power!" yelled Asuna, face lit up with an angry flush. Sure, she may not be the best when it came to exams, but that didn't mean she was an idiot who only had brawn.

She wasn't!

Really.

"What a sad team," the enemy leader said. "Still, the difference in our strength is nothing to be surprised about. It is not like you had any chance of winning to begin with."

With a snap of her fingers, her classmates strung into action. School uniforms were discarded and thrown to the wind, prompting Makie to cover Negi's eyes.

No need for their cute, impressionable teacher to see high school girls exposing themselves.

However, the high school girls had not suddenly decided to strip. They were wearing dodgeball uniforms underneath.

"Behold! Kanto's Regional Dodgeball Champions, Mahora's Black Lilies!" They declared as one.

The announcement left class 2-A in shock. What type of high school students participated in Dodgeball tournaments? Were there even high school Dodgeball tournaments to begin with?

At least, most of them were thinking that. Others like Negi were clapping, impressed.

"Wait, isn't this definitely unfair now?" one the girls from 2-A asked Naruto.

"Unfair? This was a match between middle school and high school from the start. Does it matter if you find out the opponent was stronger than you thought? You should have expected this! Instead, you all took the world of Dodgeball too lightly and now you're paying for it!" Naruto said, pointing with excessive pomp.

Dodgeball was serious business.

With their objections ignored, the game went on. It was not even a contest. The Black Lilies gained a wide lead and eliminated the leaders of Class 2-A, Asuna and Ayaka.

The game would have ended right then and there had it not been for Negi. The young boy's speech managed to restore the girl's spirits. Naruto's estimation of him went up a few notches.

"I see you don't know when to give up," the high school captain said. "Shouldn't you understand this already? From the beginning it was useless for you middle-schoolers to try to fight us."

"Five-second rule," a blue-haired girl said from the sidelines. "According to the rulebook, it is forbidden to hold the ball for more than five seconds. Please hand over the ball."

"How would an amateur like you even know that?" one of the high school girls protested.

"I-I always carry a compilation rulebook with me," the girl said shyly.

A brunette with her hair done in Chinese style buns laughed. "Way to go Honya!"

"Taking advantage of the rules to make up for lack of skill… underhanded, but I'll allow it!" Naruto said giving her thumbs up, ignoring the girl's sputtered denials.

The ball was back in 2-A's hands and their counterattack…

…

Their counterattack was definitely not Dodgeball. The ball was kicked, dunked, and grabbed by a ribbon.

A blonde haired, dark-skinned girl even managed to pull off an overhead kick. Soccer fans all over the world would have cheered.

"Out, out and yeah that's pretty much it. Game over," Naruto said.

"Wait a second," one of the girls protested, "no matter how you look at it, that was definitely not Dodgeball. Isn't that against the rules?"

It was a bit of a gray area actually.

"Against the rules? Isn't that a way of blaming your lack of skill. As Kanto's regional champions shouldn't you have won even with the way they were playing?" Naruto asked.

The girl flinched.

"Well… yeah but-"

"But you took them too lightly. Learn from it. Victory of this match goes to Class 2-A!" Inwardly, Naruto cheered himself. He probably looked really cool now.

Indeed, the girls backed down after that.

Most of them backed down at least.

The leader was quite angry and threw a ball at Asuna's back only for Negi to intervene. The teacher managed to stop the ball and threw it right back at the girls.

With a little extra.

As soon as the girls touched the ball their clothes were torn to shreds.

Naruto deduced that was probably magic and also noted that Eiko's lacy, black underwear was considerably more daring than that of her classmates.

Ninja had keen observation powers.

As Negi was lifted in the air and congratulated by his students on his 'super shot', Naruto decided to retreat for now.

He already had a good grasp on the kid's personality.

Negi was the overly serious type. A worrywart. Like a younger Ebisu. Only popular.

Naruto grinned.

Negi felt a chill go up his spine.

xXx

Later in the day, Negi, Asuna and Konoka returned to their home. Class 2-A was easily excitable and the girls had thrown a victory celebration at Chao's restaurant.

Free of charge of course, much to Chao's chagrin.

"Negi," Asuna began.

"Yes?"

"That weirdo. You really don't know anything about him?" the girl asked.

"Nothing," the child teacher answered. "I was not informed about any new teacher, but I am also new at Mahora so that may be the reason."

The comment earned an angry sigh from Asuna.

The mysterious new teacher had been a topic of discussion at the party, mainly his looks. The girls were happy there was new eye candy around. After all, not all of them were "old-men obsessed perverts" as Misa had eloquently put.

Not all of them had been talking about his looks. A few of the students had realized the new teacher was not normal and wondered what his purpose was.

Then there was Asuna. As a devoted lover of old men, she was not swayed by the blonde ninja's good looks and she did not have the skill to recognize a badass ninja when she saw one just yet. She knew one thing, though.

"I don't trust that guy," the girl said. There was something about him. She just couldn't put her finger on it.

"I don't know," Konoka commented. "He seems like a cheerful person."

"Don't let that fool you," Asuna said with force. "Something's not right with that guy. He's like…like a fox."

An idiot's instinct was a frightening thing.

"Asuna-san, you are overthinking things. I am sure the Principal would not have hired him if he was not trustworthy," Negi said, trying to pacify her

Konoka let out a small giggle. "I wouldn't know about that. Grandpa does have weird tastes."

"Yeah, look who he put as our homeroom teacher," Asuna said dryly.

"What's that supposed to mean?!"

xXx

In a secret underground lab, another student of Class 2-A contemplated her own worries about the newest addition to the faculty. In her case, the root of her concern was not grounded on simple instinct but facts.

Uzumaki Naruto, Sixth Hokage, was at Mahora.

Chao Lingshen prided herself on being a calm, rational person. It was one of the reasons she could face Negi Springfield every morning, in spite of growing up hearing all the things he had done and how great he had been.

No, Negi Springfield was not just great, he was legendary.

A small part of her even considered the idea of going against him laughable.

However, reason triumphed.

She knew that was not the case. She knew Negi was only a kid at this point in time. He had not yet done all the things that made him a legend. That was why she could go on with her plan.

She could simply treat him as another mage-in-training, albeit a talented one.

Uzumaki was different.

Records of his time in the Elemental Countries were sketchy at best and the long-lived bastard had never really bothered to give her exact dates when he told her stories. There was only one thing she knew for certain.

He was strong.

People did not become Kage by collecting bottle caps.

Chao sighed and reclined her body against her chair. Uzumaki's arrival complicated things, but that did not mean she would give up. She could not back down under any circumstances.

There was too much at stake.

She had plans to make.

xXx

.

.

.

AN:

Upon revision, a part of me really wanted to rewrite the whole chapter, but I had promised myself not to do so. Still, reading what I wrote more than a year ago was kind of painful. The dodgeball scene in particular.

Some lines were even taken from the manga.

I tried to fix up what I could, but there was only so much that could do.

I do not like just rehashing manga events, but it will take a while for the full impact of Naruto's presence to be felt. That said, you can see the beginning of the ripples caused by him this chapter. Hopefully.

**Chapter Glossary**

**Summoning: Food Cart Destroyer – **Using a standard Summoning, the user of this technique summons a giant creature _above_ his enemy. The ensuing fall is destructive to say the least.

**Longhorn – **Killer Bee's hit single. It is said you cannot be a true fan of him unless you have this. However, finding it is quite hard and the pre-order list is really long, much to Godel's chagrin.

Don't forget to review! Your feedback helps me get better, which means you get a better story to read.


	3. Two Months

Disclaimer: I own nothing.

xXx

_...Space-Time Jutsu are a strange beast. The essence of it all is rather simple. You open a hole in reality in order to connect two distinct points. Any idiot with enough chakra and access to a summoning contract can do it._

_I was a teenager when I signed the Toad scroll. It took me a less than a day to summon my first tadpole. A few months later I fought alongside 'Bunta for the first time. _

_I didn't understand how the whole thing worked until years later, most people never bother learning. It's not like there are many experts on the subject around._

_But I am getting off-topic. _

_Make a hole to connect two points. That's what it boils down to. That's what all space-time techniques boil down to._

_The problem is... people can get really creative with just that much..._

_-Jiraya's Notes, Excerpt- _

xXx

**Two Months**

xXx

In the second month of the new term, Naruto was called to Konoemon's office.

The aged headmaster did not even bat an eye when Naruto appeared in his office out of thin air. The blond ninja had done that every time he was called. No whirlwind of leaves. No gust of wind. One moment there was an empty seat, the next Naruto was there. Rather than speed, Konoemon was certain it was spatial displacement of some type.

The young Kage had certainly earned his title.

"Morning gramps," Naruto said, raising a hand in greeting. He was never one for formality, and Konoemon had no problems with that.

"Good morning to you too, Uzumaki-san," Konoemon greeted. "Some time has passed since you began teaching here. As such I would like to ask you a few questions about your experience in Mahora so far."

"Sure thing. Fire away," Naruto said, leaning back into his seat.

Konoemon nodded. "Good. First, I must admit I am interested in how you find class 3-A."

Naruto looked confused for a moment before snapping his fingers.

"Right, your granddaughter is there! I have to say they are a fun bunch though Negi must have his hands full handling them. As for me well…"

xXx

**1 Month and 26 days ago:**

"You!" Asuna shouted, pointing at the grinning man standing inside the gym.

"Yes, me!" Naruto said, greeting the assembled class. "Welcome, Class 3-A! From today onwards, I, Uzumaki Naruto, will be your P.E. Teacher!"

Asuna had a bad feeling about this.

"Since this is the first day of classes, I am supposed to go over what we will cover during the semester," Naruto said, taking out the syllabus.

"But that's boring." Naruto threw the papers over his shoulder. "Instead, I want to get an idea of how good you girls are. Who is up for running laps around the gym?"

Half of the class did not react to the announcement. The other half was split between resigned expressions and pained groans.

Naruto blinked.

"Hey, what's with those boring reactions? This will be fun!" Naruto assured them. "We are not going to do regular boring laps around the gym. This will be obstacle course!"

The moment he finished the sentence, Naruto stomped, activating a hidden switch in the gym's floor.

_Click_

The sound echoed throughout the gym as various mechanisms were set in motion. Trap doors opened. Walls rose from the floor. Compartments opened up in the ceiling and walls to reveal lasers, crossbows, and other dangerous things.

The students' eyes got progressively wider as they watched the gym undergo the transformation.

By the end, the room was better suited for filming an action movie than a middle school gym class.

"What the hell is this?" Surprisingly it was the normally quiet Chisame who voiced the question in everyone's minds.

"It is the gym's obstacle course!" Naruto said, spreading arms wide.

"How is it even remotely acceptable for something like this to be part of a PE class?!" The girl yelled. Around her several of the girls nodded.

"Eh, don't worry," Naruto said, waving a hand, "there is nothing lethal or harmful in the obstacle course. I even set it on the lowest difficulty. Worst thing you will get are a few bruises."

"IT HAS LASERS!"

"Non-lethal lasers," Naruto corrected, raising a finger. "Besides, it is not like I build this thing. It has always been part of the gym. It was even part of the school curriculum until a decade ago or so. By the way, thanks for the books on the school's history, Miyazaki-san! I would never have found about this without them."

Poor, shy Nodoka found herself victim of several glares. The girl could only stutter explanations while her skin struggled to decide between blushing and paling.

"Okay, that's enough standing around. Everyone form a line. You will enter in pairs," Naruto said, slapping his hands together.

Reluctantly, the girls formed a line, looking very much like prisoners about to face the firing squad.

What followed next was...

"THAT WAS A BOXING GLOVE! WHY DOES AN ARROW HAVE A BOXING GLOVE?"

"…and those lasers really hurt..."

"Don't worry Akira! If we stick together we'll be fine."

"Don't say stuff like that while hiding behind me, Misora!"

"Why can't we be a normal school?!"

"For the pride of the strolling club! CHARGE!"

… A tragedy. Truly a great tragedy.

The class was cut down by half during the first lap alone. By the end of the fifth lap, even members of the sport clubs like Akira and Yuna were unable to go on. Only Mana, Kaede, Ku Fei, Setsuna, and Chachamaru were able to endure the exercise from beginning to end.

News of this event would spread like wildfire around campus. In a few days, people would call it The Great Class 3-A Massacre. Other PE teachers in Mahora would go on to copy Naruto's example and let their classes ran that obstacle course on the first day of class.

It would take more than a hundred years for the school to ban the practice.

But that's another story

xXx

"…we get along well. They are good girls. Most of them are lacking when it comes to physical ability, but don't worry I will shape them up in on time," Naruto promised with a smile.

"You have my thanks for that," Konoemon said. "The physical standards of today are far too low."

"No problem," Naruto said, flashing him a thumbs-up. "I'll have those girls roof-hopping by the end of the semester."

"Ho, I see I made the right choice choosing a ninja as a teacher," Konoemon said while running a hand through his long beard.

Deep down, Konoemon hoped his granddaughter wouldn't hold it against him.

"I am glad you get along well with them, but I must admit I am a little surprised. Has there really been no friction between you and the students?" Konoemon asked.

Naruto cocked his head to the side.

"Well," he said, "there is Evangeline."

"I see," Konoemon said. "I admit she has a… unique situation."

Naruto nodded. "If you hadn't told me about her beforehand, things could have gotten messy…"

xXx

**11 days ago**

Kakizaki Misa was tired.

As a cheerleader, she was used to physical activity but nothing had prepared her for the newest teacher.

Uzumaki Naruto did not know how to take it easy on the students or so Misa thought.

Unbeknownst to her, he was taking it quite easy on them. It was just a matter of perspective. Easy when compared to standard Ninja Academy exercises was still grueling training for a middle school girl.

Normal middle school girls that is, which Misa was.

Having to deal with Naruto-sensei's classes on top of her cheerleader duties had proven to be too much for the girl. She had fallen asleep in the changing room after practice. Being more asleep than awake themselves neither Madoka nor Sakurako had noticed she was not with them on their way to the dorms.

Night had fallen by the time Misa woke up.

Having little choice but to walk alone, Misa took the quickest way to the dorms, right through Sakura Lane. Had she not been so tired, she would have remembered all the rumors about people being attacked there at night and chosen another route.

Alas, that was not the case, so Misa was entirely unprepared when a small figure burst from the shadows and grabbed her. White teeth gleamed in the darkness as the figure prepared to bite her.

Said figure was similarly unprepared for Naruto dropkicking her into the ground.

Misa, who had just started to register what had happened, found herself staring at her PE teacher.

"You okay?" he asked.

Before Misa could answer the figure Naruto had kicked got up, hands covering her face. "How dare you! How dare a mere human like you kick my face!"

"Eva?" Misa asked, straining her eyes to see in the darkness. Sure enough, the mysterious figure was her classmate. "Eva, it is you!"

"Naruto-sensei! How could you hit Eva like that?" Misa pointed to the little girl. "She is a girl! Worse, she has the body of a ten-year-old. Who knows how much you hurt her! And Eva, you are too old to go around scaring people and way too young to be dressing like that. Don't you know there are all sorts of weirdoes out ther-"

"Silence!"

Misa was cut off by Evangeline's shout. The girl threw two oddly shaped bottles to the ground. The liquids inside mixed as the glass shattered. Multiple ice arrows burst from the mix of liquids and headed right for them.

They never touched Misa.

In an instant, she was in Naruto-sensei's arms and they were, for some reason she couldn't understand, on top of one of the surrounding buildings.

"Stay here," Naruto said. "It looks like someone is asking for extra lessons."

Misa started open-mouthed as Naruto vanished from her sight and reappeared back on the street in front on Evangeline.

"You know, I have never met a vampire before," Naruto said.

"So the old man told you," Eva huffed, crossing her arms. "It seems people can't keep a secret nowadays."

Naruto shrugged. "It is the kind of thing that comes up during the job interview. Salary. Hours. Problem kids. The usual. Especially when the problem kids include blood-sucking vampires."

Naruto was pretty sure the headmaster hadn't told Negi a thing, though.

He seemed like the type that liked to mess with others.

"You have me at a disadvantage then, _sensei_," Evangeline said, the last word dripping with sarcasm. "I don't know much about you."

"Me? Eh, there is not much to tell," Naruto said, his hands behind him. "Just a normal teacher. Honest."

Eva snorted. "Don't insult me. Those movements were not those of a normal human, and the timing of your arrival at Mahora... Did Konoemon feel the need to hire a babysitter for the brat?"

"Can't I just be a really dedicated PE teacher?" Naruto asked. He seemed to mean the question too.

Eva raised an eyebrow.

"Eh, was worth a shot," Naruto said, shrugging. "Anyway, can't say the name of my client. Ninja rules and all that."

He apparently had little problem revealing he was a ninja.

"No matter," Eva said, pulling out more vials. "After tonight, you will be in no shape to babysit Springfield."

Once more the vampire threw vials containing magical catalysts. A barrage of magical projectiles headed for Naruto.

The ninja calmly stared at the projectiles as they closed in on him.

Then, he _moved_.

To Misa, it was as if each of the projectiles suddenly veered off before reaching Naruto.

"Well, that was… not bad?" Naruto said, scratching the back of his neck. He had been expecting something cooler from his first vampire. Sure, Konoemon had said something about the seal, but this was just… underwhelming given how he had talked about her.

"On the bright side, you are perfect for Negi! Definitely starter villain level," Naruto said, cheering up a bit.

Powerful enough to be a threat, but not strong enough to win unless Negi messed up.

Man, he so wished he had one of those growing up.

Zabuza had so not been starter level.

However, Naruto's words were not well received. Evangeline reeled back as if struck by a physical blow.

"S-Sta-Starter Villain! How dare you! How dare you! Evangeline A.K. McDowell is nothing less than a Final Boss!" The tiny vampire shouted.

"Yeah, sure, whatever," Naruto said, not looking particularly interested. "Look, I know the headmaster is okay with you being here and all, but don't go around attacking people or I'll do something about it, no matter what my contract says."

Having said what he wanted to say, Naruto hopped to the roof. An instant later, he had Misa in his arms and vanished.

Leaving one very pissed off vampire.

"Chachamaru!" The girl shouted.

"Yes, mistress," the gynoid answered as she stepped out of the shadows.

"That guy. He just called me weak, right?"

"That would appear to be the case," the girl answered in monotone.

"Me! The Dark Evangel. The Undying Mage. The Doll Master. The Apostle of Destruction. He said I was nothing more than a starter boss!" The blonde said, her voice getting increasingly louder with each word.

"I believe he used the term 'Starter Villain', Master." Chachamaru tilted her head to the side. Perhaps her master's storage drives were in need of repair?

"I know what he said! It's all the same thing. He compared me to a first level boss battle only an utter noob would mess up. An existence created for the sole purpose of losing to let the player get some experience. A battle so easy it might as well be scripted!"

Eva knew her games. There was only so much one could do while trapped in a school for years.

"Change of plans Chachamaru," she said. "First, I am going to drink that brat's blood. Then I am going to look for Nagi, but before doing that last part…before that… I am going to beat that miserable bastard!"

xXx

The Headmaster stroked his beard. "Ah, Evangeline. I assumed she would start to act up when Negi came to the school. I am surprised it took this long actually."

Naruto crossed his arms behind his head. "Is she going to be any trouble? I know you said students with abilities were common and all, but this one is going around biting people."

"Have no fear," Konoemon said. "She has not seriously hurt anyone and is unlikely to do so. She may deny it, but she has grown fond of Mahora. Her only target is Negi, and even then I doubt she truly seeks to cause harm to the child."

Naruto didn't like the idea of a vampire going around feeding. But the Headmaster seemed sure she was not going to hurt really hurt anyone so…

"I'll trust you about Eva for now. She will be good for Negi as he is right now. I am curious about what he did to have a vampire going after him, though," Naruto said, scratching his chin.

"That's not really my story to tell," Konoemon answered. "Speaking of Negi, I am curious to hear how your mission is going so far."

"Oh, that! Nothing much has happened. The biggest danger to him right now is getting glomped to death by those girls. Can't recall the last time I had a job this easy. By the way, I got to thank you for giving me this job. It makes keeping an eye on Negi much easier…."

xXx

**1 Month and 21 days ago**

"Negi!"

The child teacher did not have time to turn before he felt a hand slapping his shoulder making him stumble a bit.

"Uzumaki-sensei," the child said, recognizing the voice.

Naruto, who now had him in a one-armed hug, pouted. "Hey, what's with the formality? We are both teachers. Don't be scared to use my name."

"But wouldn't that be too informal?" Negi asked. From what he understood of Japanese culture, calling someone by their first name could be rude in certain situations.

Naruto laughed. "Come on, it is not like you are Japanese. Neither am I for the matter. A little informal works out just fine."

Naruto omitted the fact that while not Japanese, the culture of the Elemental Countries resembled that of Japan.

Weird.

"You are a foreigner too, Uzumaki-sensei?" Negi asked surprised.

In retrospect, blond hair and blue eyes were enough of a hint. Then again Ayaka had those and there was not a drop of foreign blood on her veins.

Japan was weird like that.

"Yeah, this is my first time in Japan actually," Naruto said. "And what did I tell you about calling me by my name?"

Negi fidgeted. "...Na..ruto-san," he tried out.

Naruto sighed. "That will have to do for now. You're way too serious for a kid."

"I don't think I am that serious." Negi frowned a bit. The expression just made him look more serious.

"No, you totally are. It's like talking with an old man. You're a kid. You have to relax a little. Relax. Oh! I just had the best idea. It's decided!"

Negi did not like the glint in Naruto's eyes.

"As a teacher, I cannot let this go! From here on, I make it make it my duty to help you recover your lost youth!" Naruto said, doing his best imitation of Gai and Lee.

It would have made them proud.

"Wha-no that's not really necessary," the boy said, waving his arms around.

It was then Negi noticed Naruto had carried him out of the room at some point. They weren't even inside the school anymore. The blond was effortlessly carrying him with one arm and was running so fast their surroundings were nothing more than a blur to Negi.

That day many people heard the disembodied voice of a child screaming.

And so was born the Legend of the Screaming Ghost Child.

Seconds later, Naruto stopped and dropped the screaming kid to the ground. The short fall (and not being carried at speeds not even racing cars could reach) was enough for Negi to settle down. The child looked around and saw that they were in a small ramen bar.

"It's not Chao's food stand, but I have always preferred ramen to nikuman," Naruto said before making his order.

"So what are you going to order? I recommend the Miso ramen, but Shio ramen is pretty good too," Naruto said with the casual tone of someone who had not technically kidnapped a child and dragged him screaming through the streets.

"I shouldn't even be here! I had papers to grade! No, first of all, how did we even get here?" Negi protested.

"Putting off your work for later is another part of youth," Naruto said, sagely. At least, he thought it looked sagely. "As for how I got us here… well, you don't become a PE teacher by sitting around doing nothing. I am in _amazing_ shape."

Negi sighed and took the empty seat next to the blond. He could have tried to convince Naruto to take him back, but something told him that would be an exercise in futility. Instead, he made his order and listened to Uzumaki-sensei talk while they waited for their ramen to arrive.

"This… this is pretty good," he said once his order arrived and he brought the first spoonful of ramen to his mouth.

"Told you. Hey, bring some more," Naruto told the chef while waving an empty ramen bowl.

"W-when did you eve-," Negi stuttered before stopping himself.

"A teacher must be ready to eat in the blink of an eye," Naruto replied.

"I don't really see how that has anything to do with teaching," Negi deadpanned.

"You'd think so, but try saying that when you have to grade the final exams of the entire grade," Naruto said. "Then you will be glad you can to eat faster than humanly possible."

Against his better judgment, Negi found himself in agreement. Grading exams was entirely too time-consuming.

Why did he have to include two composition questions in the last exam?

Hold it.

"Did you say 'will be'?"

"Well yeah, I told you I was going to teach you," Naruto said. "We need to turn that frowny face of your into a smile."

"I don't have a frowny face," Negi muttered with what was totally not a frowny face.

Though his voice was low but Naruto heard him anyway.

"Come on! Young teachers like us have to stick together. We are not the norm. Especially you. I have never heard of a child teacher before. You'd think a ten-year-old qualified to be a teacher would be better known."

"Tha-that's…" Negi stuttered out. It wouldn't do for Naruto to dig into his past.

"Easy there," Naruto said. "I'm not the prying type. I just want to offer a little help."

"Help?"

"You have the face of someone carrying something heavy," Naruto said, his face serious. "That's not healthy for a kid."

"I don't hav-oomph!"

Negi was shut by a spoonful of ramen shoved into his mouth. Courtesy of Naruto.

"It's okay. I am not going to pry. Honest. I just want to help you lighten up in the meantime. If that means kidnapping you for lunch every so often then or teaching you a few tricks then fine. If you need someone to talk to, I'm here for that too."

Negi had many, many objections to Naruto's unilateral decision-making. However, the spoon got in the way of voicing them.

"Well, that's all I wanted to say really," he said as he got up from the chair. "Thanks for the ramen!"

It was then Negi realized Naruto had left him with the bill.

xXx

"…He is a good kid, if a bit too private for his own good," the ninja said. Negi had not taken him up on his offer even once.

Which did not mean, they did not eat lunch together on regular basis. Naruto made sure of that.

The headmaster crossed his arms. "I see. Yes, Negi is not used to opening up to others. He differs greatly from his father in that regard."

"The Thousand Master, right? Must be tough trying to live up to that legacy."

The headmaster nodded. "I see you know about it. Still, Negi's story is not mine to tell."

Naruto just waved his hand. "Don't worry. I won't pry. I am a ninja. I know a thing or two about secrets."

"Thank you. Now, I must tell you-"

"Don't interfere with Negi?" Naruto interrupted him. "Yeah, I know that part. I wasn't planning to."

"I did say that at the beginning, but you must be wary of Evangeline."

"…I am getting some mixed signals here."

"Allow me to explain. The current Evangeline would be, as you say, a good challenge for Negi. However, she was not always like that. As I have told you, her real power is sealed. While it is not too likely to happen…" The headmaster trailed off, letting Naruto fill the blanks.

"So don't interfere unless the vampire regains her original powers. Got it."

Konoemon nodded. "Once again, you have my gratitude."

"Just doing my job. Now if that's all, I'm going to take off. Thanks for the tea gramps!" Naruto said, getting up.

"There is one last thing I must ask," Konoemon said. "This is just protocol, but, during your time here, has any normal human seen your abilities."

Naruto stayed silent for a moment then grinned. "I am a ninja. I don't get caught."

Then the blond vanished in a swirl of leaves.

Konoemon frowned. He was going to have to call someone to clean up all the leaves now.

Ninja.

xXx

**11 Days Ago**

The day of Kakizaki Misa made less and less sense as it went on.

Uzumaki Naruto

Evangeline A.K. McDowell

Ninja

Vampire

She thought Eva was just playing around at first, but those powers were too real to be just a prank.

Eva had superpowers!

Naruto-sensei had superpowers!

She hadn't even seen the arrows Eva threw until Naruto-sensei had moved her to the roof, and that speed! It was like he was teleporting! It was like an action movie. She had known the teacher was athletic, but that was just beyond what humans could do.

Had she been Chisame, she would no doubt be complaining over the loss of her normal life. Misa had never had any such delusions. Her classmates were far from normal already.

Chachamaru was totally a robot. Who did she think she fooled?

Still, there was a big difference between drawing out conclusions and seeing it firsthand. The inhuman speed of Naruto-sensei, the mysterious vials, and arrows Evangeline had used.

It was so cool!

She was not quite sure what the two were fighting about. She had not been close enough to hear everything but did manage to make out her homeroom teacher's name.

Was Negi also involved in this?

Her train of thought was stopped when the battle ended as suddenly as it began. Naruto vanished only to reappear next to her. In an instant, she found herself in another part of the city.

It was right then that Misa realized Naruto-sensei was really amazing.

For his part, Naruto looked at the middle-school girl and tried to think what to do. He knew abilities like his were something to be kept hidden from the general population in this world.

He did not care that much for that rule. It was why he did all the things he did and then used a silly excuse like being an awesome PE Teacher. As far as he could tell, he fit right in.

Then again, the Headmaster would probably be mad at him for letting someone see this much.

"Troublesome," the blond borrowed Shikamaru's favorite word while scratching the back of his head.

The word was enough to snap Misa out of her shock.

"THAT. WAS. AWESOME!" The cheerleader shouted nearly jumping in place.

"How did you do it? Are you really a ninja? You were so fast! It was like you were teleporting! What does Eva have to do with this? Did you know she was a vampire? Are vampires real? What was the stuff she was doing? Where did the arrows come from? Was it magic? What does Eva want with Negi-sensei? Is Negi also involved in this? Is-"

"Hold it! Stop for a second!" Even for Naruto, those were far too many words per second.

"But it wa-mhmm!" In an instant, the blond had his hand over the cheerleader's mouth.

"Something very secret," he finished for her.

It struck Misa that just because Naruto-sensei had saved her did not mean she was safe. He was obviously part of whatever she had found. Fear returned to her. She had seen what the blond could do. She did not have a chance against that speed. She was going to get captured and probed like in the movies!

By a really hot guy.

Suddenly it didn't seem like such a bad fate.

"I won't hurt you," Naruto said, ending her fantasy trip. "I will answer any questions you have, but promise me you won't tell anyone about this. Okay?"

The gentleness in his voice put the girl at ease. Slowly, she nodded. Naruto let her go.

"Tell me," Misa breathed out.

Naruto told her. He told her about the supernatural. He told her about mages and their world and a bit about ninja and his world. He told her about Negi, and that he had been hired to protect him.

Misa stayed silent during his explanation.

"So let me see if I understand this: There is a secret society of mages and Mahora doubles as a school for some of them?"

Naruto nodded.

"And Negi is also a mage? Who for some reason needs to be an English teacher in Japan?"

"Yeah…I never got that part either. It is some kind of initiation for them apparently."

"Okay, odd mage ceremonies aside, you are a ninja from another world, and Negi's sister hired you to protect him, right?"

"Cousin, but yeah. That pretty much sums it up."

"Good then."

Naruto raised an eyebrow.

"You are taking this surprisingly well," Naruto said.

"I think I am so shocked I can't feel anything anymore," Misa said.

Naruto looked at Misa with a worried look on his face. "If it is too much, I could make you forget about this. That is supposed to be the standard procedure when normal people find out about magic in this world."

That got a reaction out of the girl.

"NO!" she shouted with all her strength.

Forget! Was he joking? She had just found out magic was real. Forget about it? No way! Magic was… magic was…

"Magic is awesome! I mean, what you and Eva were doing? That was amazing! I am not forgetting about this," the girl declared.

Naruto smiled and held up his hands up. "Fine. Have it your way, but remember. What happened tonight-"

"I will never say a word. Got it!" The girl promised.

"So long as you understand that, it is fine by me. Never cared for the idea of messing with people's memories," Naruto said. He turned to leave.

"Wait!" Misa said. "You can't leave me here!"

Naruto tilted his head. "It's a rooftop but there is a door leading to the building. It's not hard to get to the dorms from here."

"What I mean to say it… with all the workload you give us, and my cheerleader duties, and well… everything that just happened…" The girl trailed off, an uncharacteristically shy expression on her face.

"Are you okay? Did Eva do something to you?" he asked. He had made sure the vampire did not lay a finger on her.

"…I can't walk…" she finally mumbled.

"… what?"

"I can't walk!" she shouted. "My legs… they don't respond. I think I am too shocked from everything that happened, so could you," she was blushing now, "could you please carry me."

Rather than ask more questions, Naruto walked to her, knelt down, and offered her his back for a piggyback ride.

"Put your arms around me. I will take you to your dorm."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that," Naruto replied with a smile.

With a smile of her own Misa complied and wrapped her arms around Naruto. Naruto got up grabbed hold of her legs.

"Alright then, we're off!"

Naruto leaped from the building. Misa didn't scream. All the shock she could muster had already been exhausted by the revelations of the night. Instead, she looked in wonder as the blond leaped from building to building, moving as easily in the sky as if he were flying.

Misa smiled as she snuggled closer to Naruto's well-muscled back, enjoying the feeling of his hands on her skin.

A girl could get used to this.

xXx

The blond sighed as he walked out of the building. He still had no clue what he should do about Misa. Sure, the girl had promised she would keep the secret, and he believed her. However, one wrong word could land him in some trouble. He was supposed to be keeping the Secret and all that.

Besides, he was a ninja, damn it! He had a reputation to uphold!

Cool Ninja didn't get seen.

Unless there was an awesome boss fight, which didn't matter in this case as that Evangeline girl was far from Final Boss material in Naruto's opinion.

Somewhere in Mahora, Evangeline felt the urge to kill a certain blond.

For a moment, he wondered if he should use the same seal he used on Chamo, but the idea was quickly dismissed. The girl did not deserve that.

He was probably worrying too much. He just had to trust his student.

"Sensei!"

Caught up in his musings he did not hear the voice. The flying tackle? That he felt.

"What the- Misa!"

Reflexively, he wrapped his arms around her to keep her from falling. This left them in a position far too close for the level of teacher and student.

"What are you doing?" Naruto asked, voice flat.

"Greeting sensei," the girl answered, uncaring of the stares they drew.

"And how is a flying tackle a good way to greet your teacher?"

"Negi-sensei doesn't complain."

Naruto let go of her.

Misa's butt met the floor. It was not a nice meeting.

"That hurt," she said. "I fell on my ass. I am blaming you if it gets flatter because of this."

"I am sure your butt is just fine."

Misa perked up. "Could you touch it just to be sure?"

"Don't push it," he warned. Dealing with this girl was tiring. "Anyway, what do you want?"

"You know…" the girl leaned close to him and then whispered, "magic stuff."

On second thought, trusting her was a horrible idea.

Naruto sighed, grabbed the girl's wrist, and led her away from the small crowd that had been forming. Now doubt there would be rumors about the two of them all over campus tomorrow. Naruto and Misa turned left on the first alley. Once they were out of sight, they vanished.

"First of all" Naruto began as they reappeared on the roof, "I told you not to do that stuff. I am your teacher, you know? It may look okay with a ten-year-old but not with me. Second, no magic talk in public."

"Hey, that's way too cold! Shouldn't a man feel pleased when receiving attention from a beautiful girl?" Misa bent over slightly while pushing her breasts together with her arms, giving Naruto a good view of her cleavage.

Misa was an attractive girl. The same could be said for most girls in class 3-A.

Unlike most of her classmates, Misa was aware of her looks and the effect they had on the people around her. While most of her classmates would balk, blush, and stutter at the idea of seducing a man, Misa would just smile and do it.

She was the type of girl that would seriously contemplate seducing a ten-year-old in order to have a well-trained boyfriend in the future.

"That's not going to work."

But Naruto was a ninja.

"It is not easy to seduce a ninja, you know?" Naruto said in a lecturing manner.

He was lying. The girl could probably have the twelve-year-old him warped around her pinky in under a minute.

A certain old pervert had managed to fix that weakness during the years they traveled together.

"Naruto-sensei is not fair," the girl said with a cute pout in her face.

"And seducing the teacher is against the rules," he told her with an amused smile in spite of himself. "Now, what did you want to ask me?"

"Oh, right! The battle!" The girl said, dropping her attempts at seduction for now.

"What battle?" Naruto said, knowing full well what she was talking about. Over the last few days, Misa had been meeting with him to learn more about the supernatural. He had obliged and spared some time to talk with her each day.

These meetings were not dates.

Really.

Anyway, one particular subject came up in those meetings: Negi and Evangeline.

"You know what I am talking about? The battle! Vampire vs Mage! Tonight is the final showdown!"

Years of experience, the information he got from a certain ermine periodically, and his gut feeling told him the conflict between the two would be settled tonight.

Mostly his gut feeling.

"And what makes you think I am taking you with me?" He asked.

Misa thought about trying to use her appeal again but stopped herself in time. It was time for a change in tactics.

"I see," Misa said, casting a sad gaze to the floor. "Sensei is right. I would be in danger if I went to such a place. There is no way sensei could protect me."

"Wait, hold it!"

"Sensei is only a ninja."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"He couldn't hope to compete against mages."

"That's just... sad. It's completely transparent. You are trying to trick me. It is obvious. I understand, so-"

"It is better if I stay here because sensei will not be able to protect me," the girl finished with a resigned look on her face.

Oh, that was it.

Misa yelped as Naruto took her in his arms.

"So I will take you to watch that damn fight! As long as you are next to me, you are in the safest place in the whole damn world!" Naruto said while jumping from roof to roof.

"It is so nice to have such a strong, dependable sensei," Misa said, giving him a peck on the cheek.

"You are so going get it in the next class," the blond grumbled.

Ninja and student moved through Mahora.

A battle was about to begin.

xXx

**Extra Scene: The Sniper**

xXx

Mana Tatsumiya could not be described as a social person. Even among her classmates, few had exchanged more than a few sentences with her. Fewer still could say they actually knew Mana Tatsumiya.

That suited Mana just fine.

Which is why many would find it odd she was visiting one of her classmates today.

Her reason was a simple one.

Business.

Chachamaru opened the door as soon as she knocked. The gynoid gave her a short bow before leading her inside. The owner of the house sat waiting for her with a cup of tea in hand.

Evangeline A.K. McDowell.

Mana knew the vampire was a mere shadow of her former self, but she could not help but feel a little nervous around her. Regardless, this was business, and people like Evangeline did not live so long without accumulating a sizable fortune.

"You are early," the vampire said. She made no effort to get up. Instead, she sat like a queen gazing down on a peasant.

Of course.

"I do not like to keep prospective customers waiting," Mana said. The vampire motioned for her to sit.

"Tea?"

"I am afraid I will have to decline," Mana said, taking her seat.

"Very well, then allow me to get straight to the point. What do you know about ninja from the Elemental Countries?"

Ah.

"I presume this is about Uzumaki Naruto?" Mana asked.

"He has proven himself an annoyance," the vampire said offhandedly. "I desire to know just how much of an annoyance he can make himself if he tries."

In her long life, Evangeline had accumulated a wealth of knowledge. The Elemental Countries were not part of it. That world kept to itself. At least, it had done so for most of her life. Only in the past few years had that changed.

Put bluntly, the knowledge was _too recent_ for her.

Normally Mana would have charged for the information, but this was not one her usual customers.

"Ninja from the Elemental Countries did not interfere with our world until a few years ago," Mana begun. "They became easier to find. They took on more jobs. It is unknown what exactly happened to cause the change. Most of the information seems to point to their world managing to achieve a state of relative peace. Without conflict…"

"The ninja found themselves without jobs," the vampire muttered, amused. "They needed to look for work elsewhere."

"That seems to be the case."

Eva nodded. "That partially explains his presence here, but I did not call you for background information. What can you tell me about his abilities?"

"A few years ago, I would have been certain he was ranked Chunin or higher. Off-world travel was limited to those ranks, but times have changed. Nevertheless, I doubt he is a genin. The way he handles himself denotes great experience."

In all the time Mana had seen him, Naruto had never once let his guard down. When he walked around the campus, when he ate, when he yelled at her classmates, and even when laughed, the blond never once let his guard down.

He did not even seem to think about it. It seemed to be as natural as breathing to him.

It was the sign of a man who had seen countless battles.

Evangeline took a sip of tea. "I figured as much. I do hate an unknown factor in my plans. I guess I will have to depend on my dear classmate for help."

Evangeline smiled.

"Of course, you will be compensated for your kindness."

"It is certainly a tempting offer," she said, "but before accepting, I would like you to answer a question of mine."

"And that would be…"

"Just how far do you intend to go?" Mana asked. "So far no one has been seriously hurt in your attacks, but none of those people were your real target. How far are you willing to push the battle with Negi-sensei?"

Evangeline smiled, uncaring. "So you even know about that. Your information gathering skills are quite good."

"I do not require your praise just the information," Mana said, a hard glint in her eyes.

"Temper. Temper," Evangeline mocked. "Do not forget where you are, Tatsumiya."

A shadow fell over her and Mana did not need to look to know Chachamaru was right behind her.

Mana's body tensed. The gynoid's abilities were a mystery to her, one she was not looking forward to finding out in a real battle, especially not while in the seat of Evangeline's power.

"I must say, it is surprising to see you exhibit such care for a child you have only known for a few months."

"I do not make it a habit to stand by when a child is in danger," the sniper replied.

"I see," Evangeline said before smiling. "Then allow me to put your concerns at ease. I will not kill the child. I just need some blood from him. Not enough to kill him."

"In that case," Mana said with a smile of her own, "I see no reason to deny my help to a fellow classmate."

"However," Mana added, her smile vanishing, "If you try to kill him, I will end you myself."

Evangeline chuckled. It had been a while since she had been threatened. She supposed she could let it go.

For now.

Evangeline shook hands with the sniper.

The deal was made.

xXx

.

.

.

**AN**:

Man, it's been a long time, hasn't it?

With the year about to end, I wanted to post something. However, I am too busy to write a new chapter of The Return right now, so I guiltily shifted my gaze to this story.

I always feel bad about it since I have six chapters of this gathering dust in my hard drive. I just need to edit them up. From now on, I will try to have a new chapter per month until I run out of them. Look forward to that.

If you enjoyed this story, check out my other fanfics. If you enjoy those, consider checking out my e-books (I have those. Guess who is a published writer? Me!). Just look for the Amazon link in my profile page.

Don't forget to review!


	4. Night and Day

Man, it's been a long time, hasn't it? Let's see if I can keep up that once per month schedule a bit better this time around.

**Disclaimer**: The author does not make any claims of ownership over Negima or Naruto. They are the property of their respective owners.

xXx

_Once upon a time, there was no moon._

_Somehow, people forgot that and dismissed the truth as a legend. People tend to do that quite easily. Have you ever wondered why, Naruto-kun?_

_It is because their minds cannot allow that which is beyond them._

-From the Journal of **REDACTED**-

xXx

Night and Day

xXx

Night had fallen. Electricity was down all throughout the city. Moonlight shone over the empty streets.

A fitting stage for a vampire.

The only problem was…

"Nothing is happening!"

"Wait for it," said a certain blond ninja.

"We have been waiting for an hour already!"

Misa was angry. She had been expecting an amazing magical showdown the likes of which movies wished they could produce. All the elements were there.

Evangeline A.K. McDowell. The Undying Mage.

Negi Springfield. Son of the Thousand Master.

Vampire vs Mage. A duel for the ages.

At least, that was how it should have gone. Instead, she had been stuck waiting atop of a school building for over an hour.

Needless to say, her patience had long worn thin.

Maybe, this whole thing hadn't been such a good idea. It was late and there were no signs of anything remotely magical happening. The more she stayed here the more likely it was for her roommates to find out she had snuck out. At this rate, she was going to face an avalanche of questions from them when she got back.

Misa was just about to voice her thoughts to Naruto when the sound of shattering glass broke through the night.

"Told you," Naruto said, an overly pleased smile on his face.

Misa saw Negi's small body fall out of the window chased by arrows of ice. Panic flared in her heart as the child teacher was about to hit the ground, but Negi did not crash.

He flew.

The wooden staff he carried with him played the part of a witch's broom as he took to the skies.

Evangeline came out after him, utterly ignoring gravity, and dressed in something Misa was reasonably certain was not legal for such a young-looking girl to wear. Chachamaru came right behind her much to Misa's surprise. She had not known vampires and robots could work together.

Chachamaru was also wearing a maid outfit.

Under other circumstances, Misa would have been surprised at how well it suited her.

She was soon distracted from her thoughts when her classmates appeared and attacked Negi.

"Probably mind-controlled," Naruto said, interpreting her shock accurately. "Don't worry. I will talk to the headmaster later. He will have them back to normal soon."

Misa said nothing, too stunned to even talk. She could only watch as Negi easily took care of her classmates before taking off for the sky with Evangeline and Chachamaru in pursuit.

Misa yelped when Naruto picked her in his arms and jumped off the building.

"What are you doing?" She shouted.

"You wanted to see the fight," he replied. "Now be quiet or they will notice us."

Although Naruto did not fly, he easily kept pace with the mages.

"They are heading for the bridge. That kind of brings back memories. I remember when I had my first final showdown on a bridge," Naruto said.

"You can have more than one final showdown?"

"In this line of work? Of course! You can have several in a row even. Oh, here's a nice spot!" Naruto said as he landed on a rooftop close to the bridge.

"This is too far. We won't be able to see a thing," Misa complained.

"Trust me," Naruto said, smiling. "When the fight starts, you'll definitely see it. Magic is flashy, and that means a lot coming from me."

"Besides, this is a good spot to spy," Naruto added, not looking at Misa. "It is just the right distance for them not to see us and if anything bad happens I am close enough to interfere. You are probably thinking something like that, right?"

Misa blinked, unsure of who Naruto was talking to. She would soon have the answer to that question.

"You managed to detect my presence. Sensei is certainly quite skilled," said a female as she stepped out of the shadows.

"Mana!"

Misa's eyes grew wide at her sudden appearance. The dark-skinned student was not dressed in her school uniform. Instead, Mana had opted for a form-fitting leotard covered by a white jacket and pants.

And Guns. Very real-looking, very menacing guns.

"Meh, it is nothing," Naruto said, waving the compliment away. "You have been spying on me for some time now. I had to notice it at some point."

Although she didn't show it, Mana was impressed. She had not caught a hint of him realizing she was there.

"It appears my initial assessment of you was wrong," she finally said. "You are far better than I thought you would be."

The predatory grin on her face made it unclear whether the reevaluation was a good thing or not.

Naruto grinned.

"Don't feel bad about it. You aren't the first one to underestimate me. It happens," he said. It actually happened way too often for his tastes. Was it anything he did?

It wasn't like he went out of his way to be underestimated. He was a badass ninja.

Hell, he was _the_ badass ninja.

Surely some of that showed no matter what he did?

"Wait! Hold it!" Misa said, holding out her hands and saving Naruto from potentially damaging introspection. "You are also in on this? Are those real guns?"

Mana acted as if she had not heard her. "You do realize it is a breach of the rules to let her know about this world."

"Relax," Naruto said. "If something happens I will take responsibility. Besides, I don't like erasing memories."

It wasn't like he could in the first place. Memory manipulation was more of a Yamanaka thing.

Mana considered his words. She did not care for the rules all that much. Plus, Misa was part of 3-A. Mana would be really surprised if the entire class did not find out about Magic before the end of the year.

"Very well then."

"Hello! Is no one hearing me?"

"Calm down," Naruto said.

"Calm down? I just found out another one of my classmates is involved in this and is a gun-wielding…" she trailed off as she looked at Mana's attire.

"Mercenary," Mana supplied helpfully.

"Mercenary," Misa continued, before stopping again. "Does that mean you are here to kill us?"

"Nah, there is no killing intent coming from her," Naruto said. "Really, you worry too much."

"She has guns! Real guns! That shoot people!"

"You have nothing to worry about. I am here, remember?" Naruto said.

He put his hands on Misa's shoulders and looked into her eyes. Staring at those clear blue pools was enough to silence Misa for a moment.

"I told you before. I'll protect you. As long as you are next to me, you are in the safest place in the whole world. So trust me," he said with a gentle voice. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."

Even in the darkness, Misa's blush was plain to see. She was used to cheesy lines, but the sheer heartfelt honesty in Naruto's voice threw her off balance. She could only manage to nod dumbly.

"It is as Naruto-sensei says," Mana added for Misa's benefit. "I was hired by Evangeline to stop Naruto-sensei from interfering with her plans tonight. As long as he does not become involved there is no reason to fight."

Naruto nodded. "I figured it was something like that. Nice to know Eva is not planning on killing Negi."

The sniper turned her gold eyes to him.

"I am curious as to how you came to that conclusion?" Mana asked.

Naruto cocked his head to the side. "You are not the type to work for someone who would kill a kid. Sure, you may look cold and distant, but your aura is warm and kind."

He said it in such a matter-of-fact way that Mana lost her cool look for a moment.

"Now you are flirting with her?"

Misa was not jealous. Not at all.

Thankfully for all on the rooftop, they were saved from any further talk by a large explosion coming from the bridge.

"It appears they have started," Mana noted.

"About time!" shouted Naruto.

"It is those arrows again! They are so cool!" Misa said as she saw the dark forms of Negi and Evangeline become illuminated by the clash of magic.

"Elemental arrows are one of the most basic combat spells as well as some of the most useful," Mana said for Misa's benefit.

Naruto pouted. "Ninja can use elemental attacks too."

"Heh, Sensei is cute when he is- wait, is that Asuna? What is she doing there?"

"She seems to have formed a provisional contract with Negi-sensei to fight Evangeline," Mana deduced.

"Oh, is that what mages do to share their powers with non-magic users?" Naruto asked. He was not really familiar with all the mechanics.

"That's one way of putting it," Mana said with an unreadable look on her face.

"You mean Mages can give others magical powers?" Misa asked. That was a very interesting piece of information.

Just then another explosion rang through the area.

"Way to go, sensei! Kick her ass!"

"She's just playing around. If she really wanted to win, she could have done it at any moment," Naruto commented.

Konoemon had been too worried it seemed. The same went for him. Sure, the power was the real deal, but Evangeline was completely lacking in killing intent. As far as the blond could tell, it looked like she was having fun.

"That seems to be the case. It is understandable. This is the first time in years she has been able to access her true powers," Mana said without taking her eyes off the battle. "Regardless, it seems this won't last much longer."

All three watched as magic gathered around the two combatants.

Thunder and lightning against darkness and ice. Magic against magic. With one last burst of strength, the young mage poured everything he had into the spell hoping it was enough.

It was.

Light overwhelmed darkness, swallowing it whole and engulfing the vampire in its power.

No one spoke as the smoke cleared, revealing the vampire's form. Despite taking all that power only her clothes were ruined.

Electricity returned to the campus and another surge of power assaulted the vampire's body, this one far more effective than the last. The magic that had kept her tied to the campus for years took hold of her once more, stripping her of her power.

Leaving her to the mercy of gravity.

"She is going to fall!" cried out Misa. Without her powers, Evangeline would surely die from a fall like that.

But such a thing would not happen tonight.

A teacher did not let any harm fall upon his students.

Negi flew at breakneck speeds towards Evangeline. The child turned all of his remaining magic power into speed. With experience born from days of constant practice, he safely caught her falling body.

"Cool…" muttered Misa as she stared at the child teacher.

"Awesome little guy, isn't he?" Naruto had an approving smile as he looked at Negi from the rooftop.

"He is certainly impressive for his age," Mana agreed.

The battle was over.

xXx

Evangeline smiled as she leaned back into her comfy chair with a glass of blood in her hand.

Last night had not gone well for her. She had wasted time and been defeated by a mere ten-year-old mage.

She even had to be saved by him!

Evangeline was a sore loser and normally that combination of events would have been enough to put her in a foul mood for days.

Instead, a wide grin was spread across her face.

The information she had received from the brat this morning made all the humiliation meaningless and unimportant.

Nagi Springfield was alive.

The Thousand Master was alive!

Nothing could possibly ruin this moment.

"Hey, tutorial boss!"

Crack!

The glass in her hand was not the only thing that shattered.

"I apologize, Master," said Chachamaru as she stepped into the room. "Naruto-sensei insisted on seeing you."

"You!" the chibi vampire roared.

"Yeah, me," Naruto said, waving as he sat down in front of her. "I figured I should come to visit you."

"For what purpose? No. Don't bother answering the question. You are about to leave anyway. Chachamaru will show you the way out," Evangeline said.

The way she said it made it clear it was an order for both of them. The blond was to leave the house through violence if necessary.

Far from looking worried, Naruto just leaned back against his chair. "You don't want to do that. Whether Chachamaru forces me out or not, your house wouldn't survive it."

That gave Eva a pause. She did not care much for her house. She had both better and worse throughout her long life.

However, without a place to stay she would be forced to sleep… in the girl dorms.

She shuddered at the thought.

Konoemon would not pass up a chance like that up, especially not after her little stunt the other night. She would be forced to put up with her hyperactive classmates 24/7 until her house was rebuilt.

The sly smile on Naruto's face told her he was also aware of the fact.

She glared at him. "Fine! Say what you want. Laugh at me and be done with it!"

Naruto pouted. "You have a really low opinion of me, don't you? You think I'm the type to make fun of someone who lost to a ten-year-old because she spent so much time playing around? Uzumaki Naruto would never make fun of someone stupid enough to waste her one chance of gaining freedom after a decade!"

"You are doing it! You are doing it right now! You're insulting me, you bastard," Evangeline yelled at him. She would have tackled him had Chachamaru not moved in to restrain her. As it was, her hands futilely tried to reach for his throat.

Chachamaru was a concerned robot.

It wouldn't look good on her master's permanent record if she attacked a teacher.

Well, another one.

"Master, please," Chachamaru said. Then she turned to Naruto, "Sensei, please do not tease master like that."

"Fine, I will stop," Naruto said, raising his arms in surrender.

Evangeline struggled for a few more moments, trying to get out of Chachamaru's grip before giving up. Sensing her master would not try anything for now, the gynoid let her go. With an indignant 'humph' Evangeline leaned back into her chair with a magnificent scowl on her face.

"Is there really any need to look at me like that?" Naruto asked.

Eva's scowl grew darker.

"Fine, be that way. I just came to ask you what you thought about Negi."

"There is no need to ask that of me. You were watching the fight last night with Tatsumiya."

Mentioning the sniper made her angrier. She had hired Mana to fight Naruto. Instead, the woman had merely chatted with him while they watched the fight. Worse, Mana had fulfilled what was written in her contract. Naruto had not interfered in her fight with Negi which meant she had to pay the woman for doing nothing at all!

The mercenary woman was so going to get it once she was free.

"Yeah, but you were the one who fought him. That puts you in a better position to judge."

She huffed. "If it will get you out of here, then fine. His magical skill is above the norm for his age. Some of the spells he used would take years for an ordinary mage to learn. In addition, his magical capacity is abnormally high."

"Wow, that's a surprisingly good report. I expected you to say something like, 'A brat like him is nothing more than cannon fodder,'" Naruto said, doing a poor imitation of her voice. "You know, that sort of stuff." .

"I wasn't finished," the vampire said. "Those were just his good points. While the boy has power, he is too green. He has little awareness of the battlefield. He leaves himself vulnerable while chanting spells. He has no fighting skill to speak of."

Naruto sighed. "Yeah, I figured as much. Thanks for confirming it, though."

Negi had power. That much was clear, but his inexperience did not allow him to take full advantage of that power.

That sounded annoyingly familiar.

"Worried about your charge?" Evangeline mocked.

"Something like that," the blond admitted much to Eva's surprise. "As long as I'm here, no harm will come to him, but if I start to intervene…."

"If you intervene, you worry he will not grow properly from future challenges" Evangeline guessed.

"Kind of," Naruto admitted.

Evangeline scoffed.

"You are too soft. If the kid is so weak, he can't win no matter what then let him get beat up. If he can't grow from that experience, then that's as far as he goes. It means that from the beginning he wasn't much," the vampire said coldly.

Naruto nodded. He had more or less come to the same conclusion. Only his version sounded way nicer.

Of course, that didn't mean he couldn't give the kid a slight push every now and then.

"Well, I guess I better get going. I still have to pack for the trip to Kyoto," he said as he stood up. "Thanks for the advice."

Evangeline huffed. "It is not like I had any intention of helping you."

"Even so, you give good advice… for a starter boss. Bye, Chachamaru!"

With those words, the blond disappeared from the room.

Leaving one pissed off vampire.

"Master?" Chachamaru asked as she saw the vampire's trembling form.

Trembling with rage, that is.

"…maim him… one day…get his…," the vampire muttered under her breath.

Chamamaru filed the events in her database.

It was not often her master made a friend.

xXx

It was early in the afternoon. Misa and Naruto walked through the streets of Harajuku, the latter carrying a large amount of bags.

"Why am I doing this again?" Naruto asked.

"I told you. The school trip is the day after tomorrow. We are buying clothes," the girl explained.

"And I am paying why?"

"Isn't it obvious the boyfriend should be the one to pay?"

Naruto had to give her credit; she almost looked like she believed what she said.

"That's a nice delusion you have there."

"If it is a delusion, why are you the one paying for everything?" she asked smugly.

Naruto blinked, then looked at the bags. "That's horrible logic. But seriously, why am I paying again? I still have no idea how you convinced me to do this."

"Because sensei is my boyfriend," she said proudly, "at least until I switch to Negi."

"I am getting dumped already!"

"Don't take it the wrong way. I have been thinking about it since the fight the other night. Negi-sensei is impressive, and it is easy to see he will be handsome when he grows up. If I take a chance now, I can make a strong impression on him, train him just right."

"… you are planning to brainwash a ten-year-old."

"Train. I plan to train a ten-year-old. I will call it the Reverse Hikaru Genji plan," Misa declared proudly, hands on her hips.

"You are a terrible woman."

"My role model is Fujiko Mine so I will take that as a compliment," Misa replied.

Naruto sighed and glanced at her chest. "You a bit lacking to follow those footsteps."

Rather than getting angry, Misa threw her shoulders back to accentuate her chest. She wasn't Chizuru but she was far from flat-chested. Indeed, the action drew more than a few stares.

"I am confident in my figure," she said but was somewhat disappointed there was not even a small blush on her teacher's face. "Besides, I am still growing."

"Putting your questionable role models and vicious plans aside," Naruto said. "We are being followed."

"What?" The girl instantly latched on to one of Naruto's arms for safety.

From an outsider's point of view, they looked like an ordinary couple.

"Who is it? Tatsumiya? Evangeline? The mages from the school found out I know and want to erase my memories?"

"Nothing so serious," he said, waving her concerns away. "They seem to be-"

"I knew it! I knew something was wrong when you said you didn't want to go shopping! You never not want to go shopping. You really are dating a teacher!"

"Misa, I wish I could say this comes as a surprise, but I always knew it was just a matter of time before you did something like this."

Two voices, one accusing and the other resigned made themselves known to the duo as their owners jumped out of their hiding places. One was a brown-eyed, shorthaired brunette and the other was blue-eyed blonde with her hair tied up in twin tails.

"Madoka! Sakurako! This is not what it lo- what do you mean you aren't surprised! Just how low is your opinion of me?" Misa asked with a twitch in her eyebrow.

"Come on, it is obvious. The time you have been spending together outside classes is abnormal," Sakurako said, choosing to ignore Misa's comment.

"During the past weeks, you two have been going on dates in secret," Madoka added.

"Those were not dates," Naruto said. "Why does everyone get the wrong idea? We only…"

Went shopping together. Walked around the campus together. Ate together. Secretly met up at night.

Naruto snapped his mouth shut.

"Sensei is right. We are not dating," Misa said. "I have just been talking with him to… learn more about the subject! Yes, that's it."

"He teaches P.E." Madoka countered. "There is nothing to be learned about it by talking!"

"Ugh!" Misa… ugh-ed.

"Hey, I resent that," Naruto said. He would have raised a finger if he weren't carrying so many bags. "My subject can create very deep discussions!"

"Besides, if this isn't a date, then why is sensei paying for your clothes?" Madoka asked.

"Yes, everyone knows it is serious when a man takes a woman shopping like that. In Harajuku, no less," Sakurako said, nodding like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hold it," Naruto exclaimed, raising his arms into the air. "Does everyone know that but me?"

"Yes," answered all three girls at the same time.

Naruto's right eyebrow twitched dangerously. "Okay, that's enough. Buying clothes for one of my students doesn't mean I am dating her, and yes, I'm just now realizing how that sounds like but still! You two will drop the subject right now and never mention it ever again. Understood?"

"But-"

"She-"

"I can make you both run extra laps," Naruto interrupted. The threat was clear in his voice.

In an instant, the two cheerleaders snapped into a perfect military salute.

"Understood. We saw nothing. Nothing happened today. Nothing at all," they said in perfect synch.

Misa licked her lips. Naruto was hot when he was commanding.

"Glad we got this cleared up," Naruto said. "Now… isn't that Negi?"

The three girls turned to where he was pointing. Sure enough, it was their ten-year-old teacher and with him was...

"Konoka!" the three gasped simultaneously.

"Shopping together in Harajuku," Misa pointed out.

"Is sensei buying?" Sakurako asked.

"Don't be ridiculous. He is a kid. Konoka wouldn't make him buy her clothes!" Madoka said.

"Wait, so is she buying then? Does it count if the girl buys?"

"Not again," muttered Naruto while rubbing his temples. "A guy and a girl shopping for clothes together does not mean they are dating."

The three girls looked at him with expressions of pity, akin to the way a teacher looks at the student she knows is never going to graduate.

"Sensei, you can't deny there is a certain mood around them," said Madoka.

As if on cue, a soft wind carried the words of the couple all the way to them.

"No, I am happy… to think that you'd be worried about me," Konoka said with a smile and a soft blush on her cheeks.

"Konoka-san," the child said with grateful eyes that stared at nothing but the girl in front of him.

Naruto sweatdropped.

"See!" Sakurako said. "You can even see the flowery background behind them!"

"Come on! He is ten. They are not dating," Naruto said, although not as certain as before.

"You are taking this too lightly, sensei. It is our moral duty to watch these two," Misa declared. "This could be just a misunderstanding but can we really take the chance? Konoka and Negi have been living together for quite some time now. It is not absurd to think something could have happened between the two. It is our moral duty as fellow students, nay as human beings, to find out if this is what it seems and put an end to it if they are truly dating."

It was a passionate speech.

Naruto answered the speech with a look that plainly said, 'Moral duty? You are just worried Konoka will ruin your Genji plan.'

The look Misa gave him in return said, 'It is 'Reverse Hikaru Genji' plan, and that is most definitely not the reason I am doing this.'

"Liar," Naruto said.

"They can already talk by trading looks," Madoka muttered.

"I am so jealous right now," Sakurako muttered back to her.

"You two stop muttering those things," Naruto said. He suddenly had a moment of extreme empathy for Iruka. Dealing with students was way more tiring that he thought it would be.

Meanwhile, Misa took the opportunity to call Asuna.

"Hey, Asuna," Misa said as the girl answered her call. "You will never believe what we just saw…"

Naruto sighed as he watched the events unfold. Somehow, it seemed that at least one deity out there liked Misa. Not only was Asuna there but Yukihiro Ayaka as well.

Naruto only knew two things about the girl. One, she was the class representative of class 3-A. Two, she was crazy about Negi. In short, she was the perfect person to help Misa. With a few threa... words, she convinced Sakurako and Madoka to help out Misa in "preserving Negi-sensei's virtue."

With the situation escalating, Naruto settled for following the trio.

To keep things from getting worse, of course.

And maybe, just maybe, for the amusement factor.

What followed next were the most blatant attempts to interrupt a date Naruto had ever seen. Not that he had seen many, but he was surprised the two of them hadn't caught on yet.

Negi was way too clueless about some things.

"Guess that's another thing we need to work on," he muttered.

Madoka turned to look at him. "Did you say something, Naruto-sensei?"

"Nothing you should worry about," he said with his best smile.

"Shh, stop talking you two. They could hear us," whispered Sakurako.

"I really don't think whispering is necessary. Negi is asleep and Konoka-san is busy paying attention to him," Naruto said.

"Don't say that," snapped Misa. "Having a younger guy resting on your lap…. I am so jealous of her right now. Class rep, where are you?"

"If you are so worried why don't you interrupt them?" Naruto asked.

"If I do that, it will seem like I am the jealous type!" Misa said. "That would make a horrible impression."

Luckily for Misa, she didn't have to do anything. One minute and one mock attempt at a kiss later, Yukihiro Ayaka arrived.

"Hold it, you two! As class representative I cannot allow this to happen," the girl yelled as she made her presence known to the "couple."

For his part, Naruto just watched as the scene unfolded. He chuckled when Konoka and Negi revealed they had actually been buying a birthday gift for Asuna.

Right after that, the cheerleaders also showered Asuna with the gifts they had taken from the dating duo.

Even Naruto had joined in on the gift-giving.

"Dumbbells? Really? You want me to work out even outside your class?" the birthday girl had asked.

Despite the words, Naruto could tell the girl was grateful.

Smiling, Naruto looked over his shoulder. Ayaka was in front of the now cowering cheerleaders. The class representative was not happy about the misunderstanding, it seemed.

"We are sorry!"

"We thought it was a date!

"Anyone would have made the same mistake!"

"No excuses!" Ayaka shouted, making the cheerleaders cower even more.

"Come on, class rep. Don't be like that," Naruto said.

"Punishing students is not a class rep's job," he said, making hope bloom in the hearts of the cheerleaders.

"It is a teacher's job."

Hope was run over by a truck and set on fire.

Ayaka considered this for a moment. The only contact she had with Naruto-sensei was during classes. Said classes consisted of grueling, dangerous physical exercise that she was sure had to be illegal. Worse, he made them do all of it with a smile on his face.

Perfect.

Besides, letting him take care of it meant spending more time with Negi-sensei.

"You are absolutely right, sensei," she said with a truly beatific smile. "I will let you take care of these three now. If you will excuse me, I have other matters to attend to right now… Negi-sensei! Wait for me!"

"Have a good time, Yukihiro-san," the blond shouted at her retreating form. He turned to the trio. They flinched. "Now what to do with you…"

"Please have pity on us!" The three begged, kneeling in front of him.

Naruto said nothing. He just stared at them. His cold blue eyes peered into their very souls.

Then he stopped and walked away.

"…Oh well, I will think of something later," he said uncaringly.

The cheerleaders almost facefaulted, but being part of Class 3-A had given them greater endurance to that sort of thing.

"You three are off the hook for now," he said. The smile on his face along with the way he closed his eyes made them think of a fox for some reason.

The teenaged-teacher walked away, leaving a group of relieved students behind. As fun as punishing them would have been, he also needed to get ready for the trip. Konoemon had filled him in on some of the details. It seemed like there was a high chance of something happening.

The Kyoto trip sounded like a good opportunity to help Negi out a bit.

He was going to have fun!

xXx

**Extra Scene**: Probability Masters

xXx

Inside a crowded train, an epic battle was going on.

This fight did not involve a certain red-headed teacher. It also did not involve frogs summoned to create chaos.

This was a battle between teacher and student.

The combatants faced each other without fear. Their eyes gave away nothing. They could not risk revealing anything to their opponent. In their hands, they held the cards to victory.

This was not a battle of power. It was not about skill.

As one the two slammed their cards on the table, revealing them for all to see.

"Four of a kind," they shouted.

This was a battle of luck.

"Another tie," muttered Madoka in amazement.

"Are they even supposed to shout out their hands?" Misa asked.

"Who cares? It is more exciting this way!" Haruna said.

At her side, the twins, Fuka and Fumika, nodded. "Yeah, I never thought there could be anyone as lucky as Sakurako," one of them said.

This unique poker game had quickly caught the attention of the class. About half of it was crammed around the two players to see the game.

"Never mind that, how many times does this make?" asked Yuuna.

"One hundred thirty-seven times by my count," said Satomi Hakase, Class 3-A's resident robotics expert and all-around genius. "The probability of it is less than-"

"Hey! Don't bring math into this," Haruna interrupted. "You'll take away the awesome!"

"Shut it, you are breaking the mood," Yuuna shh-ed them.

Finally, one of the two players decided to speak. "Wow, you're really good at this Sakurako! This is the first time I meet someone who can keep up with my luck!"

The girl, in turn, offered him a sunny smile. "Please sensei, you are making me blush! I never imagined sensei would have such strong luck!"

"You know you two may say that stuff," began Misa.

"But those smiles are obviously fake," continued Yuuna.

"And you have these really evil auras around you. Like, you are one step away from killing each other. I think I can even see lightning cracking in between you two," finished Haruna.

"Don't be silly. I would never harm a student," Naruto said with a big, fake smile.

"That's right, Haruna. Naruto-sensei and I are just having a friendly game," Sakurako said. The smile on her face was at odds with the dark aura surrounding her.

The schoolgirls felt the urge to flee. Getting in between these two was dangerous.

"Exactly," Naruto agreed, nodding. "Now, Nodoka-san, please shuffle the cards again."

"A…actually…," the shy girl said, "I was… wondering if someone could take my place."

"Now what are you saying, Honya?" Sakurako said while placing a hand on her shoulder. "There is no one more trustworthy than you to do this."

"Yes, don't be silly. We need someone impartial to shuffle. It is an important duty only you can do," Naruto said, imitating Sakurako's gesture.

On the surface, they were reassuring hands giving her support. In reality, they were steel shackles locking her in place.

The shy girl looked pleadingly at her classmates, but they refused to meet her gaze. Hanging her head in defeat, the poor girl prepared to shuffle again.

Fortunately, she was saved from her duty.

Unfortunately, it was by frogs deciding to flood the train.

The match between the two luck magnets would have to wait for another time.

xXx

Chapter End

xXx

AN: I am kind of annoyed by this chapter.

I don't really enjoy doing a rehash of canon, yet I kind of trapped myself in the Negi/Konoka 'date.'

Well, at least the Kyoto arc has started. Things will really start to heat up from this point on.

And it only took over 10,000 words.

Yay.

Okay, that kind of sucks. I admit it. I thank the readers for their patience. Naruto will start to have a more prominent role in this arc (in the sense that he is going to be involved with the events of the manga) as opposed to being in the background.

Anyway, if you like this story, check out my other fanfics. If you like that, check out my books. All information is available in my profile.

And, of course, don't forget to review.


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